Waking Light
by CoalScaleDragon
Summary: A ghost raises a new guardian among the spires of Mercury. Quickly brought into the fold of the Sunbreakeers, they discover his powerful connection to the light. The new guardian will explore the system, pursuing enemies and uncovering secrets lost to the ages.
1. Born of Fire

**Waking Light** Born of Fire

Stillness was all there was. As the light began to take form within the being, calmness swaddled the void. Slowly it faded as shapes began to collect into an image. Blurry spires. Unintelligible sounds. Pain crept up through the limbs in a wave before subsiding. Vision started to be understood. The sky was full of stars; pires and metal rose from a sea of rock and decrepit structures. Soon individual voices could be heard shouting back and forth. Two figures appeared from nearby and held low to the ground near his body.

"Call the transport." The woman's voice was strong and commanding as she pointed to the other with a free hand. Several jets of red light sailed overhead followed by the same woman sending four rounds from her sidearm into the distance. The second figure took a knee behind a boulder cut square, wires protruding from it like a frame.

"Calling Oni-3, requesting emergency evac at Discovery Rupes. 56.3661 south; 38.2902 west. We have a new light." This voice was of a young man. He spoke with haste and yet still hope. The two looked to each other after a short moment then nodded. Suddenly a brilliant hue of gold erupted from the woman as the man picked up the man's body, still unable to move on his own.

When his vision finally returned he was in a long room seemingly cut from a single stone. He jumped to his feet he promptly fell to the hard ground heaving on the dryness of his throat. His stomach felt like it was outside of his body. Sweat rolled from his scalp over his parted lips, exacerbating his sickness. His eyes stung and skin felt too hot. He knelt on the floor staring at his large, dark hands. After several minutes of this there was a flash of light. A small, angular device floated just above him and all of his pain and emptiness was stayed. It resembled a star in shape with a camera in the middle. He attempted to speak but words were absent. The floating device rotated slightly, seemingly focusing on him as he forced himself up. A cheery, robotic voice lept at him. "Hello guardian! Let me start by saying I'm so glad to have finally found you! You are exactly the one I was looking for!"

"They always say that." It took him a few moments to recognize the voice as the woman from earlier. She now stood before him. Easily a foot taller than himself and clad in enough metal to resemble a tank. Her greaves were a series of thick metal plates with pronounced knee guards. Several layers of metal were folded over one another. A single long cloth hung from her right hip. Five eight-point stars went down along the seam beside a braid of vines. Her breastplate had three large hexagonal plates across the chest with the center one having a wreath on it. Inside were five eight-pointed stars in the top half and two crescent shapes pointed up to them. Her arms had very large metal plates across her upper arms and wrists. Her armor shimmered amber with crimson inlaid into the folds and joins between plates. Her eyes were gold and somewhat obscured by her short black hair. She had a very small nose and a thin but comforting smile on her lips.

"Greetings, new light. I am Alexia Shoto."

"I'm Nobel! I'm your ghost!" The floating object chimed in as it moved around him. "And you are my guardian! Oh, how exciting! Can you believe it? I found-"

Alexia cut off what would likely to be a very one sided conversation by the device. "Yes. I can. Now come, both of you. There is much to discuss before your judgment."

When before his head was silent, now came a flood of questions. How long had he been in that room? Where was he? _Who_ was he? What's this ' _judgement_ '? What is a ghost?

"How can I help?" His voice came through dry as it fell from his lips. Alexia, who had begun walking away, stopped and looked over her shoulder at him through her short, black hair.

"That's what I wanted to hear."

"What is your name?" Alexia's voice was as strong as her stature. The three of them made their way through several corridors all cut through solid rock. Ornate banners hung from the walls; symbols of trees, wolves, fire, and the sun sewn into the fabrics. The air was far warmer than he felt it should be, not that he had any clue what it _should_ be. He took several moments to think but didn't have any idea. There was so much in his head he couldn't focus.

"Perhaps answers will help you sort your mind? This is the temple of Sol. Our sanctuary."

Happy to interrupt her as recompense for earlier, the ghost interjected; "This is the center of operations for the Sunbreakers. Powerful guardians who wield the light of the sun against the darkness! It was fortunate they tracked me, otherwise you and I may have been intercepted by the vex before you'd even have a chance."

The ghost left him even more questions but he had to set them aside to know what was going on in the moment.

"How long since you found me?"

"Two-" Alexia began but Nobel seemed to think she was taking two long.

"Two hours, seventeen minutes! We're on Mercury. It used to be the garden of the system until the vex turned the planet into a machine."

The tiny robot blinked as if to act innocent as she attempted to melt it with her gaze.

"We have many enemies. However, should you prove strong enough, nowhere in the system will you be safer than with us."

The party was met by another humanoid figure as the reached the end of a corridor, armored head-to-toe similar to Alexia. The two knights bowed to one another then two sections of wall parted revealing a room filled with weapons. She gestured him inside to begin browsing. He believed this had something to do with his _'judgment'_ and pulled a rifle from the wall. He tested the weight in his hands. It was hefty but not unwieldy. Something about it felt right to be armed and his ghost shuffled and spun looking quite pleased before disappearing in a shimmer.

"Don't worry, guardian! I'm still with you." Nobel's chipper voice seemed to come from in between his ears. He looked back to Alexia who was standing with her arms crossed, a slight smile still on her face.

"I think you're ready. Let's get to the forge."

She turned on her boots and began to walk back through the hall. He nodded and followed.

The two eventually made their way to a large staircase with a massive, circular metal door at its end. Two rows of the heavily armored figures stood at attention to either side of the hall leading up the steps. The seal of the door cracked and began to rotate open, letting the searing sunlight fill the air. Once at the top Alexia stopped and nodded to him.

"This path you take you must forge yourself. But when you return your light will burn brighter than any star." He bowed to her then raised his rifle and he stepped into the day.

"Idris Marquis." He looked over his shoulder. "You asked who I was. That is my name."

The vault closed with him on the outside. Alexia smiled once more, knowing that with his answer he had finally realized himself.

Idris and Nobel made their way through the carved channels away from the vault. The sun sat completely still in the sky above.

"I have some information on the forge Alexia mentioned. It's nearly two clicks northwest of here. This forge is where sunbreakers first are able to summon the power of Sol fire." Nobel was as happy as ever and kept close beside him.

"You mentioned before, the "vex"? What is that?" his voice deep and even as he looked to his ghost. Nobel shook, beaming with excitement at another chance to lecture.

"The vex are agents of the darkness! Killer robots from beyond the system. In my time searching for you I looked through many vex structures but could never understand what they did or how. Some of my scans suggested they were older than the planet. But that shouldn't be possible!"

The duo had been walking across the sands for some time when the ghost suddenly stopped and folded itself smaller. "Guardian! I'm reading vex signatures all around us. Get ready for a fight." With a shimmer Nobel was gone and everything became very silent. Idris leaned against a wall and slowly made his way around the structure, rifle ready. Synthetic howls crawled around toward him with the sound of heavy metal footfalls in the sand. He continued around until he saw one of them. A creature made of bronze marched forward. A red light sat in a wide, fan-shaped crest between its shoulders. Ornate markings wrapped around its limbs. A bright white substance sat in a casing in the center of its body. It turned at him and bellowed a metallic hiss. Idris opened fire and shredded through its red eye. Sparks spat from it and the creature charged at him. He held down the trigger and the bullets tore through the construct's hip joints, bursting the canister in its core and causing it to collapse with a modulated hiss. As Idris went to inspect it four more marched at him. Red beams sailed past him causing him to drive for cover. Idris peaked over at them and emptied his magazine. One of them fell from the gunfire causing two others to disappear.

"Careful guardian! They can teleport!" Nobel shouted in his head. Suddenly one appeared behind him. Without thinking Idris connected his fist with the creature. It's exoskeleton caved beneath his blow and crumpled to the ground. The other appeared a few meters away and red lights sailed at him then everything went dark.

With a gasp Idris was upright, rifle in hand. He didn't have time to think before the vex had bolts sailing past his head again. His weapon was already loaded and he opened fire, taking both down. Idris pulled his magazine and replaced it with one from his hip. "What the hell just happened?"

Nobel appeared in front of him. "That vex took you down but I was able to revive you. That what ghosts do."

Idris was shocked.

"What do you mean, 'took me down'?"

"You died, guardian. But I-"

Another vex howled at the pair. This one easily three meters tall and surrounded in a violet aura.

"Run! The forge, guardian!"

Idris tore across the sand, the giant being smashed the ground where he stood with such force that dust and glass were launched into the air. He ran across the sand and up a hill, adrenaline keeping him moving as beams of pixelated red light burned holes in the ground just behind his heels. He reached the structure but a small legion of vex kept pursuit, teleporting to close the gap as it grew. Idris took cover outside and counted his ammo. He didn't have enough rounds to last against all of his aggressors. Anger mucked his attempts to make a plan when suddenly a voice eminenated from his surroundings.

"If you are to survive against the vex, you must embrace the light. Let the fire fill you."

The circular platform behind him began to hum. He saw an orb of gold light form in the center and felt pulled to it. The vex were still closing in. He mantled onto the platform and reached into the glow. Strength surged through his body as he made contact with something unseen within it. Heat and power now radiated from his core into his extremities. He was fire. He was light. The vex were nearly upon him now. His fingers wrapped tightly around the object and pulled forth a hammer. The three meter tall automaton from before stood above him once again. It's claw raised for another strike. Idris thrust his hammer through the creature and it burst into a shower of embers. The vex halted, seemingly aware of his newfound power. He charged at them, sailing through the air and crashing down among their line. The bronzen creatures were scattered.

The vex had all been burned away by the time the fire faded from Idris. He now stood under the sun at the forge. Another figure slowly made its way out of the structure. Idris raised his rifle until he saw a familiar humanoid form and stowed his weapon. Nobel appeared beside him and looked over the armored character.

"Guardian! That's Magistrate Ouros! She's the leader of the sunbreakers!"

"Empyreal Magistrate. And yes, I am, new light." Her figure was confident. Clad in gold, accented with black, her armor made her look like a phoenix shining in the sunlight. The metal on every centimeter of her armor was engraved to look like feathers. The center of her breastplate had a great bird haloed by the sun. The sash on her hip was a series of black and gold feathers woven together over a sheet of chainmail. Her helm was the visage of an avian with a wide crest swept down the back and around her neck. She was resplendent and carried a presence of royalty.

Alexia appeared from inside the structure and stood beside her.

"See? I could feel his power after his resurrection. And now he is chosen by the forge." Alexia remarked to her superior.

"Yes. His light is strong. You do not disappoint, commander Shoto." Ouros's voice was tempered and powerful, not unlike Alexia's. Idris approached the two of them and bowed his head.

"You carry with you the power of fire. Light in its most raw form. You are one of us now, new light. A sunbreaker. A warrior unlike any before. Welcome to the order."


	2. Fuel to the Fire

**Waking Light**

Fuel to the Fire

"The vex seemed quite focused on getting to you before you reached the forge." said Orous. Her armor still resplendent in the light of the sun. Idris looked over his hand remembering the feeling from wielding the light through the hammer.

"What were they after?" His voice was dry after the skirmish. Alexia stepped in with a response.

"The vex are a collective. Each one serves as part of a network. A network spanning space and time."

"We have reports of their efforts to stimulate all possible futures so they may change events to suit their end." Orous spoke with sober reflection. "However, the one thing they cannot stimulate is our light. We remain beyond their scope. In their simulations they must have seen you as a grave threat to their plans, unless you could be intercepted."

Idris looked back at where the constructs had been as the winds scattered their ashes among the sands.

"Let us not remain here. We have a new member in our order. He needs to be properly outfitted." Orous cheered to Alexia. She nodded back with the same smile she gave Idris earlier. A small transport shuttle arrived a moment later and all three stepped aboard.

The shuttle lowered itself down to a large stone jetty where several others were rested. The sat, impossibly, above a great chasm next to the Sunbreaker stronghold. The party were escorted inside by their pilot while a small army of drones shuffled about the platform refueling and maintaining the shuttles. The three were met with a grand room filled with other the sunbreakers. Each one had adorned their armor slightly differently but all stood at attention at the arrival of Orous and her company.

"At ease. We have a new member in our order." She took a step to the side and waved Idris forward. The room full of titans have a welcoming roar to him. Orous stepped close to him quickly before he could be consumed by the crowd of knightly beings.

"We will need to speak about the vex; but for now, enjoy yourself."

The crowd stole Idris away through a few hallways. Several other sunbreakers introduced themselves through the commotion. He made a desperate attempt to remember them all. _Miro Asht. Devon Silvo. Sabre-4. Valentina...something._ Eventually the busied group pushed him into a wide stone room with a grafted metal floor. Racks of metals, leathers, cloths, wires and more were on display.

"You gotta make your armor, kid." said a gruff woman's voice from beside him. Noble popped up in front of Idris, giving the entire room a quick scan then turned around to face him.

"Don't worry, guardian. We can do this."

With the ghost's help it took only a couple of hours for the pair to craft the full suit of armor. The armor was grey like iron, tempered to have a straw hue along the ends of the plates. The detailing was done with brilliantly polished copper and supported with ashy white paint, hammer marks still visible in the metal. His greaves were heavy; fashioned with large plates over the front side of the thighs, knees and shins; the pattern of a chain encircled the plates. The back was wrapped in leather over the glove. Idris's curias was angular with a large crested plate protruding from the front. Metal was folded over the breast going up the center of the chest piece then diverging to the shoulders. His pauldrons were domed but plain with chainmail under and folded metal plates strapped over the forearms. Idris had fashioned his helm to somewhat resemble that of a great boar, even using some ivory he found to be tusks. Idris turned back to face his company, Alexia standing forefront, holding his helmet under his arm. After a moment the crowd roared approval. Nobel popped in front of him and spun around to the legion of knights cheering.

"Congratulations, guardian. You're a sunbreaker."

After what Idris was told was a mandatory run through the mead hall, he made his way up to the throne room and to Magistrate Orous. Nobel floated alongside him as they pushed open the vaulted door.

"Welcome, new light." Her ghost closes a projection and both turn to Idris and Nobel.

"I told you earlier I had information for you. Scouts and Intel traded with the city being to light some activity on Venus regarding the vex. I will be deploying you to the Ishtar region. Bring back whatever you can on them."

"Yes, Magistrate."

"Yeah. We'll go there and figure out what those vex are up to!"

With a nod Idris turned and left for the shuttle platform. He lifted his helm and set it over his head.

 _O bearer mine..._


End file.
